Neil Lennon saw his side slip to defeat at Motherwell on Wednesday night and said he is losing faith in his team’s ability to score the goals needed to win games.

While Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson praised the performance of his players who showed the desire and the quality to claim all three points and close the gap on their guests, the Easter Road boss was left bemoaning the fact that it was the same old failings in the final third of the pitch remain detrimental to his ambitions of forcing their way into the top six and on into one of the European places.

“The first half was average from us. It was insipid. Defensively we were poor, particularly at full back. The second half was a lot better but we lack quality in the final third.

“We dominated the second half but failed to score again. We had a few chances to get back in the game but we are failing at the minute.

”The top end of the pitch is where we need to improve. We had a lot of the ball but we are not making the most of it.

“I’m not getting the feeling from that team that we are going to score. There’s a lack of belief there. I am hoping to get someone in up front and in wider areas. I think we need it.

“I don’t think we are functioning as a forward unit at times. I don’t think we are working hard enough. “The [goal chance] that flashed across goal in the final minutes, two of them are on their heels when it was just begging for someone to tap it in but we are not reacting. “That has got to come from them. They have to want to score goals and be willing to get in there and get hurt.

“There’s a lack of quality and that’s not the way I want to play. I want to be on the front foot. I want more from my strikers but the service can be better as well.

There were no such complaints from Motherwell, with Robison delighted at the input of his young players as they carved out a quality winner.

“There’s no doubt that David Turnbull has great quality. We have been on at him to do the dirty work in midfield. It was so pleasing how much he did off the ball, how disciplined he was, not being a luxury in the team.

“But if he wants to go to the next level that’s what he has to do - but he did it superbly tonight.”